Műanyag égbolt

White Plastic Sky
In the near future, there are no more animals or plants on Earth and the remaining humans are living under a plastic dome. The price for their continuing survival is very high: at the age of 50, they are implanted with a special seed that turns them into a tree which will provide oxygen and food for the community. A young man, Stefan, accepts this system – until the day his wife Nóra decides to give up her life and undergo voluntary implantation. Driven by his love for her, Stefan decides to break the rules of society in order to save her.
Animation duo Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó created their dystopian epic using rotoscoping techniques. The screenplay was developed with contributions from geologists, botanists and meteorologists, thus providing its fantasy-laden story with a solid, scientific grounding. A deeply moving eco-fantasy that deals head-on with the climate apocalypse threatening life on Earth, Műanyag égbolt is a film imbued with the melancholy of those most aware of how close humankind is to extinction. Although, as is the case for the couple at the centre of this beguiling love story, this burden is lightened by their keen sense of the world’s beauty.
by Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
with Tamás Keresztes, Zsófia Szamosi, Géza Hegedűs D., Judit Schell, István Znamenák, Zsolt Nagy, Márton Patkós, Renátó Olasz
Hungary / Slovakia 2023 Hungarian 111’ Colour Animation

With

  • Tamás Keresztes (Stefan)
  • Zsófia Szamosi (Nóra)
  • Géza Hegedűs D. (Professor)
  • Judit Schell (Dr Madu)
  • István Znamenák (Director)
  • Zsolt Nagy (Márk)
  • Márton Patkós (Captain)
  • Renátó Olasz (Zoltán)

Crew

Directors Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
Screenplay Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
Cinematography Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
Editing Judit Czakó
Music Christopher White
Sound Design Stefan Smith
Sound Stefan Smith
Production Design Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
Costumes Petra Szűcs
Casting Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó
Assistant Director Andrea Gabányi
Production Managers Orsolya Sipos, Henrieta Cvangova
Producers József Fülöp, Orsolya Sipos, Juraj Krasnohorsky
Co-Producer Viktória Petrányi
Co-Production Proton Cinema Budapest

Produced by

Salto Films

Artichoke

Tibor Bánóczki

Born in Sárospatak, Hungary in 1977. After taking a degree in animation at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, he continued his studies in animation direction at the National Film and Television School in the UK where he embarked on his artistic partnership with Sarolta Szabó. They both moved to France and made two short animations together which screened at festivals including Sundance and Clermont-Ferrand. The animation duo now live and work in Hungary. Műanyag égbolt is their debut feature-length film.

Filmography

2001 Holtágban (Dead Water); animated short film 2002 Az ifjúság megnyugtat (The Youth is Reassuring) 2007 Milk Teeth; animated short film 2008 A Tripper Fiúk (The Clap Dudes); animated TV short film, co-director: Sarolta Szabó 2009 Sleep; animated music video, co-director: Sarolta Szabó 2011 Les conquérants; animated short film, co-director: Sarolta Szabó 2014 Leftover; animated short film, co-director: Sarolta Szabó 2023 Műanyag égbolt (White Plastic Sky); animation, co-director: Sarolta Szabó

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023

Sarolta Szabó

Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1975. After taking a degree in photography at the city’s Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, she studied photography at the Royal College of Art in London where she began, in 2007, to make animation films with Tibor Bánóczki. In 2010, the two moved to France and made the short animations Les Conquérants and Leftover. Both films screened at numerous festivals and were shortlisted for a César. The duo now live and work in Hungary. Műanyag égbolt is their debut feature-length animation film.

Filmography

2008 A Tripper Fiúk (The Clap Dudes); animated TV short film, co-director: Tibor Bánóczki 2009 Sleep; animated music video, co-director: Tibor Bánóczki 2011 Les conquérants; animated short film, co-director: Tibor Bánóczki 2014 Leftover; animated short film, co-director: Tibor Bánóczki 2023 Műanyag égbolt (White Plastic Sky); animation, co-director: Tibor Bánóczki

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023